A King And His Ginger
by Midnight113
Summary: Troy  I thought she was perfect.  Gabriella  I thought he was a self-centered, rich, arrogant Golden Boy of West High.  Troy  God I wanted her.  Gabriella  God I wanted him… to leave me alone. Continuation of The Firework King and Ginger. T&G.
1. Part I

**A King And His Ginger © Midnight113. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or have any affiliation to it. **

**Synopsis: (Troy) I thought she was perfect. (Gabriella) I thought he was a self-centered, rich, arrogant Golden Boy of West High. (Troy) God I wanted her. (Gabriella) God I wanted him… to leave me alone. Continuation of The Firework King and Ginger. T&G.**

_***A warning to all potential thieves, this work is copyright 2011 Midnight113.**_ _**A King And His Ginger is completely the work and property of Midnight113, to reproduce under any other name is theft!***_

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><p><em>A King And His Ginger<em>

_Part I_

**"~*~"**

**"-"**

**'-'**

**Ginger**

**Mood: Extremely Pissed Off, Extremely Annoyed, Extremely Sleepy, Wants To Kill Sharpay AND Troy**

Okay, keep calm Gabriella. Maybe you just… misplaced them. Right, that's it. What did Taylor always say at times like this? Oh yeah, retrace your steps. Where were you last when you had your car keys? Um… think, think, think. Troy's castle.

Troy…

Troy Bolton…

Troy Bolton The Firework King…

Troy Bolton The Firework King AKA West High Knights Golden Boy…

He stole my keys. That son of a bitch, that arrogant, self-righteous, no good God of a man actually had the balls to go into my purse when I wasn't looking and take my keys. He planned the whole thing. Basically forcing my hand into riding to school today with him so that he gets his way... again.

I'm going to kill him! I'm going to seriously do so much damage when I see him next, his grandchildren are going to be feeling the repercussions.

If that jerk thinks for one second that I'm going to allow him to believe what he did was even remotely acceptable, he's got another thing coming. His royal majesty of fireworks my ass. I don't give a damn how good that date was, or how amazingly incredible and romantic it had all been… even his… warm, mouthwatering kisses… No! Snap out of it Gabriella!

Remember, he stole your keys and tricked you into eating goose liver. Just keep repeating that thought in your head every time you think of him and you'll be just fine. Don't give him a chance to weasel his cute little way into your heart, and knowing him he'll probably snatch that from you too when you least expect it… actually, I think he already did.

"Shut up!" I shouted at myself while pacing in the entryway of my house. "Shut up, shut up, shut up… don't you dare even go there Gabi." I scolded, knowing I must have looked and sounded like a lunatic if anyone saw me. Good thing my grandmother was out.

I can't believe I almost let that bastard come into my house last night! What was I thinking? Duh, I wasn't thinking at all. It's like I allowed myself to have an out-of-body experience while staring into those eyes of his. Those beautiful eyes were evil I tell you… plain evil. He uses them to get what he wants.

Well there's no way in hell I'm letting that happen again. No sir… not happening. Not now, not ever.

And what does he mean by saying he wants our first time to be special anyway? What... Mr. Hotshot Firework King suddenly has morals and doesn't want me to just be another notch in his belt? He suddenly cares about the girls he sleeps with and whether or not it's... special? Who is he to think he'll even get another chance to be with me anyway? I mean, I'm not that easy. I was just having a weak moment... which is rare for me and will most certainly never happen again where he's involved. No way.

Not that I can blame myself, he is the hottest, richest, most popular jock in both schools combined. It's only natural that any girl would fall victim to his charm and good looks. But he uses that to get what he wants too, I know he does. I've heard the stories around East of the notorious basketball captain. I will not allow myself to be so easily manipulated by him again. I don't care if the end of the night was magical and... amazing... and the best date I've ever been on. Ugh! Damn him.

He can just go crawl in a hole and die for all I care.

Okay… maybe I sorta, kinda, just a little ounce care. Ugh! I'm gonna kill him. How could I let this happen? How could I let myself be so attracted to him. Stupid body! Stupid hormones! Stupid everything sending signals to my brain, telling me how much my body responds to him whenever he touches me... and kisses me with those, those lips... and how much I like it. Just stop right now Gabriella. You're venturing into dangerous territory thinking that way.

In the meantime, now I have to figure out how to get to school.

Pulling my cell phone out, I pressed one for speed dial and waited.

"_And how are you this fine morning my beautiful, lovely best friend?"_

"Oh I am so not in the mood Sharpay."

"_There's the Crabby Gabi I know and surprisingly still love."_

"Shar!" I shouted into the receiver. This is so not the time.

"_Whoa… whoa, alright, okay… how may I assist you?"_

"He stole my keys. I need you to give me a ride to school."

"_Wait, reverse because I'm lost. Who stole your keys?"_

"The asshole, rich douche bag."

"_Who?"_

"Him."

"_Which one?"_

"The only one who can manage to completely get on my nerves and who thinks he's the greatest thing that ever happened to man-kind."

"_Okay… I'm gonna need you to narrow it down a little bit for me babe because there's a lot of people who-"_

"Sharpay!"

"_-get on your nerves."_

"Not like _him_."

"_OOOHHHH" _She spoke as if she had just had a great epiphany. _"You mean… _him_."_

"Yes _him_." I seethed. "Troy Bolton, Shar, the one who I blame you for getting me involved with."

"_Now, now… it can't be all that bad. You told me that date was magical last night."_

"I so did not!" How dare she put words in my mouth. "I said it was alright."

"_Oh no you didn't. You may have simply said 'alright', but your voice said it was, magical, romantic, and fucking incredible!"_ I suddenly hated her and myself for picking up the phone when she had called last night demanding to know how the date went. I mean maybe I had exaggerated just a tad when recounting the castle and the view and the fireworks… but let's not forget the goose liver incident she was coincidentally overlooking.

"I said it was _alright! _There was nothing special about it, it was just _alright_. Alright?"

She waited a moment before speaking. _"What?"_

"Ugh… Shar, focus!"

_"I'm trying!"_ She cried. _"But you're confusing me Gabi!"_

"I'm confusing you!" Yikes, I feel the need to strangle something. "You're making it sound like… like I'm some lovesick puppy. Which is just absurd because I'm not." Definitely not.

"_Alright… I won't say anything anymore."_

"Good."

"_You're in denial though." _I sighed. Why is she my best friend again?

"Sharpay… can you give me a ride to school or not?"

"_No can do." _She sighed into the receiver. Wait, what does she mean by that? She better not mean what I think she means. _"I'm already at school."_ Noooooo!

"What? Sharpay you never leave for school before seven-thirty." I seethed.

_"Well I didn't want to get involved but…"_ My eyes widened. What is she talking about? _"Troy gave me a call-"_

"Why?"

_"-and asked me to not give you a ride to or from school even if you begged and of course he told me to pass the message along."_

"What!" Oh no he didn't. If I ever see him again… "Sharpay, quit fooling around and come pick me up."

_"I'm not joking Gabi. I'm being very serious… see this is my serious voice and I'm telling you exactly what he said."_

"When I get my hands on you… I swear-"

_"What was that… I can't hear you… you're breaking up… kwwwah, shhhhzzzz, I can't…"_ Oh real smooth.

"Sharpay will you knock it off? Sharpay?"

There was silence and then, _"Don't be crabby, gotta go, love ya, bye."_ Then the dial tone.

Oh my God… he's even managed to control and manipulate my friends from over a cell phone. What is happening to the world? What happened to the good old days when your friends were your friends and they actually listened to you and did as you asked?

Oh… right, what am I thinking? These are my friends we're talking about here. They're not normal and they hardly ever listen to me or do what I ask. Hmm… maybe I'm the one who needs help.

Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do…

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><p><strong>The Firework King<strong>

**Mood: Nervous, Excited, Anxious, Sleepy, Hungry, Mmm... Waffles.**

Oh man, oh man, oh man. I've been preparing myself mentally all night for this and all morning too. It was finally time to confront her, the same girl I couldn't stop thinking about since I'd dropped her off at her place a little over seven hours ago.

Gabriella…

Gabriella Montez…

Gabriella Montez AKA Ginger…

Shit… maybe I shouldn't have taken her keys. Yeah, that was totally the wrong thing to do while trying to woo her. Hmm… it may prove to make getting her to agree to our relationship even more difficult than I had anticipated.

Oh well! Nothing we can do about that anymore. What's done is done. I could definitely go for a waffle right now though.

Pulling up alongside the front curve to her modest white cape nestled on the corner of Fern Street, I debated whether or not to get out and ring the doorbell or just wait for her to come to me.

Before coming to a conclusion on what I should do, I noticed a figure up ahead on the side of the road. It appeared to be a girl with a backpack, an angry girl. I knew this because she was kicking little rocks and pieces of gravel as if they had been doing her a great injustice by getting in her way. I winced when one particular little rock was kicked so hard, it went flying into a mailbox.

Poor mailbox. But more importantly I realized I knew this angry specimen of a woman.

It was Ginger.

My Ginger.

Heaving a loud sigh, I pressed down gently on the accelerator and followed after her. My Mustang slowly crept up alongside her until it was traveling at the same steady speed as her. I inhaled a deep breath and gave myself an little encouraging speech in my head.

_You can do it Troy… she's just a girl… a hot and much too attractive for her own good girl, but a girl nonetheless. She's going to resist you, she's going to hate you… naturally of course, you are Troy Bolton. Eventually, she's going to love you though. Just keep looking at the positives and everything will turn out alright in the end. Remember, she likes kissing you which puts the game in your corner. You have control here, you can do this!  
><em>

Giving myself a nod in agreement with my brain, I began rolling down the window.

Time for her to go all ape-shit on me.

"Hey!" I shouted to get her attention. Her head twisted real quick in my general direction and then she scowled at me (man did she look hot when she did that). I grinned in the most charming way I could and jerked my head. "Get in Ginger."

"Go. To. Hell."

"Ouch." I cried. Ooh, she got me right where it hurts. Look at those pretty little eyes shooting daggers at me. I frowned and pouted playfully, putting on my best sad puppy look that always worked with the ladies. "Come on baby, don't be mad."

"Fuck off."

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" She stopped walking then. That must be a good sign right? That must mean she's gonna get in my car and let me take her to school. My ingenious plan worked!

I watched her with a smirk as she approached my passenger window, her head bent down as she placed her hands on the car, leaning against it. "Don't talk about my mom." Her voice was so different then, so… intense.

I lifted my eyebrow and just looked at her. Her whole body was shaking and I couldn't tell if it was because she was cold or because she was about to explode with every speck of anger she was trying to contain… huh, trying… yeah right.

I decided to go the safe route and not question her for fear of angering her further. So I simply nodded my head as if I were speaking to a small child and responded, "Okay… get in."

She cackled a weird crackly laugh and shook her head. "You're insane if you think I'm getting in this car with you."

"You are. I'm driving you to school and then I'm picking you up. Where we go from there is up to you, but I was thinking-"

"No." She cut me off from divulging my great plan for the afternoon. It made me sad she didn't want to hear it and I pouted once more.

"You interrupted me."

"Tough shit. I'm not going to be caught dead going anywhere with you, not school or anywhere else. Now give me my keys." She ordered, putting out her hand through the window. I stared down at it and then smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She gave me one of those, 'don't start or I'll kill you' looks and I realized she wasn't in the mood for teasing. Ah man… there goes all my fun. I turned my head away from her and looked down at my dirty finger nails, studying them like they held the answers to the universe. "Maybe we could work something out if you get in the car."

"How dare you!" She folded her arms and stomped her foot on the pavement. "I will not be manipulated into getting in your car just to get my keys back. Now give them back this instant or I'll-"

"Don't make this hard Ginger… just get in the car. You know you want to."

I watched her jaw clench tightly and her back tense in aggravation. Oh fuck me, I just couldn't win with this girl.

"You know what? Fine! Keep the damn keys for all I care." She then proceeded to throw her hands up in the air and slap them down on her jean-clad thighs before turning and stomping off in the direction she had been traveling. I heard her mutter something about me making her late for school and rolled my eyes.

"Oh Ginger, Ginger, Ginger… what am I going to do with you." I placed the Mustang in park and jumped out.

* * *

><p><strong>Ginger Again<strong>

**Mood: Irritated, Still Pissed, Irked And Ready To Kill**

_How _dare he? How _dare _he? How dare _he_?

The nerve… to think I could be so easily duped into giving him exactly what he wants. I don't care how good looking he is, or how attractive or rich, he will not get to me so easily.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that his stupid car wasn't following me anymore and I sighed in relief. Maybe I could get Shar to somehow manage to help me acquire my keys and- suddenly I felt a presence very close to me and froze. What the hell?

Turning around, I saw his majesty the Firework King grinning innocently at me. His head was tilted and his hair was falling in his face just a tad. Oh God! He looked so… so… delectable standing there all cute like that. Now I know what Sharpay meant when she said she wanted to just lick that Chad fellow. Boy, I knew something must have been wrong with me if I was starting to compare myself to Sharpay of all people.

"What!" I spit out, crossing my arms. "Haven't you done enough?"

He smiled at me and shrugged. "Well there is one thing…" Before I had a chance to run, he leapt forward and hugged my body to his in a tight grip. Holy crap, was this guy a wrestler in a past life or something? His muscles were insane! No normal guy had muscles like these. I just wanted to reach my hand out and squeeze… grrr, focus Gabriella!

"What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked as he locked his arms around me and lifted me up.

"Putting you in my car, what else?" Was he serious?

"Stop manhandling me."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll scream… that won't look too good will it?"

"Oh please… you wouldn't-"

"AHHH-mph" Just as I had started to shout, one of his palms quickly released me to cover my mouth. Ha ha, take that jerk.

"Are you crazy? What? Are you trying to get me arrested?" He frantically looked around and grinned sheepishly at a jogger across the street who had paused to stare at us. "She's just playing a little game of cat and mouse that's all!" He shouted over the roof of his car to the older woman. That bastard, making me out to look like I couldn't keep my hands off him. Oh just wait until he takes that hand off my mouth. Then he'll be in for it.

She shot us a look of disgust and I heard her mutter something about teenagers as she continued with her routine jog around the community.

Troy plopped me down on the hood of his Mustang and stood in-between my legs, his head tilted and eyes serious. "Now look. I told you last night I was taking you to school and that's what I plan to do because I keep my word. I like you and I would like to spend some more time with you to get to know you better. So you are going to get in this car and we are going to have a nice conversation on the way to school." I just stared at him dubiously and waited patiently for him to take his palm away.

"I'm going to take my hand away now okay?" I nodded. "You're not going to scream again are you?" I shook my head, furrowing my brow as if to say, 'Who me? Nah'. "Alright, I'm taking my hand away." What, does he think he's dealing with a two year old or something? Sheesh.

To teach him a lesson for taking so long, I stuck my tongue out and licked his palm, thinking it would gross him out and get him to finally release me.

Boy was I wrong.

He just stood there with his bluish gray eyes shining brightly in the sun's reflection and he smirked. That arrogant little shit, he actually smirked.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's turning me on." I rolled my eyes and sighed in frustration. Of course it would. He's such a guy. A hot, godlike guy who just so happened to have me at the end of my rope here with his… everything.

"I'm gonna take my hand away now, you're gonna cooperate right?" Do I look like a dog to you? Enough already, just do it for crying out loud!

He finally pulled his palm away from my mouth and smiled. "There we go. Let's try this again shall we? Good morning Gabriella, how did you sleep last night?"

"Mmm." I groaned in reply.

"That's good. I slept well, thank you for asking Ginger."

"Mmm." I groaned once more in disinterest.

"Are you ready to get to school then? If we leave now, you might just make it before the final bell rings." Oh no! I was going to be late. All because of him… grrr…

"I'm going to kill you Troy Bolton… after I get to school on time." I added. Damn it, I'd never make it there at this rate. It was over three miles down the road.

"You weren't really going to walk were you?" He asked me with a gleam in his eyes. "I mean, you would have dropped dead from exhaustion ten minutes in." He had a point. I was never very good with any strenuous activity. Oh crap, what's a girl to do.

"Fine, you win." I put my hands up in surrender. Gosh, it pained me to admit that. "You can be my personal chauffer and bring me to school… considering you stole my keys." I growled at him, hopping off the hood and going to get in his car.

"I prefer to look at it as investing." He spoke while walking around the front of the car to his door.

I scrunched my face as I entered the passenger side "Investing?"

"Yeah-" He leaned down and got in beside me, slamming his door and putting on his seatbelt. "Investing in us spending more quality time together in the future."

"Genius." I muttered sarcastically and his face lit up like a little boy on Christmas morning.

"I know! That's exactly what I thought." I couldn't help it, I wanted to smile at him. But I bit it back and tuned my head to focus outside the window. Don't you dare smile Gabriella.

"So anyway… coffee?" I frowned at the question and then turned my head towards him. I was met with a cup of steaming hot coffee that he was holding up to my face. How did he… how did he know? I didn't have any this morning because I was so stressed out about my keys, I completely forgot. Then when I had remembered during my short walk, it was too late and I had already accepted that I would have to go through the day dragging because of him.

Not being able to resist the freshly brewed beans that were creeping up my nostrils and making my head spin in delight, I snatched the offered cup from him.

"Whoa… easy Ginger. Don't' spill it."

I was not going to thank him for this. It was his fault that I hadn't had any that morning anyway… so why should I thank him for taking the time to get me some coffee? Exactly, I shouldn't.

Taking a sip of the deliciously hot beverage, I resisted the sudden urge to moan in ecstasy. It was perfect! The perfect cup of coffee. Just the right amount of cream and sugar… it was almost like he knew. But he couldn't have. That was silly.

It tasted so good though, I couldn't help myself when a little noise of appreciation gurgled from my throat. I blushed when he chuckled beside me. Damn it, he had heard.

"You enjoying yourself over there Ginger?"

"No thanks to you." I shot back, getting more comfortable in my seat. There was no way he was going to make me feel guilty about enjoying my coffee. And wow was I enjoying it. "How did you know how I like my coffee?" I asked.

He was quiet for a moment and then smiled. "So you like it? It's just right?" He sneaked a glance at me and smirked. "Do I get extra points for doing something good?"

"Noooo." I stuck my tongue out, even though I knew it was childish. I couldn't help it, this guy made me act so weird sometimes. "Just answer the question."

"I asked Sharpay."

"I should have known she'd have something to do with this." I shook my head and narrowed my eyes. Try to plan operation kill Sharpay and make sure it's commenced and executed this time. I don't care if I do go to jail or if she's my best friend… she's the one responsible for this mess. She's the one I blame for getting me involved with someone who is making me feel weird and different. I'm not suppose to be this happy when he's around…

"Yeah, well… I wanted to have something for you as a way to apologize for jacking your keys on you. I had to do it."

"No you didn't. You could just accept that someone like me is not suppose to ever associate with someone like you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" He was frowning as he drove. Oh don't play dumb with me blue eyes.

"Ugh, whatever… never mind. If you don't know by now then what's the point."

"The point is… I like you and I want to get to know you. Isn't that enough?"

I sighed and laughed. "I wish it were… and maybe in another universe it is, but not here and not for me."

Troy was unusually quiet after that. I was so focused on drinking my coffee that I didn't even notice we were finally at East High. "We're here." Huh… I looked out the window once his velvet tone spoke and nodded. Yes we were.

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><p><strong>Back To The Firework King<strong>

**Mood: Confused, Upset, Curious, A Little Annoyed. Still Looking Good Though.**

I'm not gonna lie. It bothered me when she said that someone like me was never suppose to end up with someone like her. What does that mean anyway? We like each other right? We're attracted to each other… at least I know I am. I think she's hot, fine, gorgeous, smart and damn sexy. That should be enough right? I'm willing to do anything for her. So… why is she being so resistant to my charms? Maybe I'm trying too hard to impress her. Should I pull back a little?

Nah…

Pulling up in front of the rival school, I eyed the brick exterior disdainfully. Why does the hottest chick I've ever seen have to go to the enemy school? Why can't she go to West or any other school… how ironic. I, the captain of the West High Knights, would find myself completely head over heels infatuated with the braniac from the school across town. What are the odds?

We sat for a moment before she slapped me on the arm. "Ow, hey!" I mumbled, looking over at her. "What was that for?"

"Stop looking at my school like that."

"Sorry." I rolled my eyes. "I'm just trying to come to terms with this whole situation babe."

"Don't call me that." She lifted her hand out to me, palm up and stared.

I quirked an eyebrow at her and then looked down at her hand. "Uh… what?"

"My keys! Give me my keys."

"Oh yeah." I scoffed. "I don't have them. They're not with me, they're safe somewhere else. I'll give them to you later."

"There won't be a later for you and me."

"Ah… but that's where you're wrong. Oh so very wrong."

"Just give me my keys Troy before you make me do something I will most definitely not regret."

"Ooh, like what?" I leaned in, my eyes widening playfully.

"Like show you how much a firework can hurt if it backfires."

"Calm down, I'll give you your keys later after our second date."

"No, I'm not going on another date with you."

I laughed at the comment and then leaned over the middle of my Mustang. "Ginger, you won't get your keys back otherwise."

I could tell she was seriously debating something in her head. I could practically see the gears turning in that cute little head of hers. Man, I loved that look in her eyes. The one where she clearly wanted to kill someone… not me of course… but she knew she couldn't. I guess I just have that affect on the ladies that's all.

"You know what? I'll bite. We go on one more date, and then you give me my keys and promise to not bug me ever again-" Pssh, yeah right. Like that's gonna happen. Keep dreaming Ginger. "-and then I don't have to worry about ever seeing you again."

I nodded. "Sounds good. I'll see you later. Remember now… stay here." I wagged a finger at her and then smirked. Leaning in closer. "Do you have a kiss for me? I did drive you to school like a gentleman."

She smiled and I was just a tad suspicious, but the look was so beautifully intoxicating that I couldn't help but get sucked in. "Of course you can… you've been so good." She whispered, her sweet tasting lips hovering closer and closer to mine. Oh God, I wanted so bad to taste her cotton candy kisses again. It had been too long… a whole eight hours now.

Before her lips could touch mine, however, she reached forward and dumped the remaining drops of her coffee on my lap. I jolted in my seat, happy the liquid didn't get on my leather interior and gawked at her.

"That's for stealing my keys you cocky son of a bitch. Be glad I didn't dump it over your head. We'll see if you still want to go on another date with me after that." She grabbed her bag and jumped out of my car, and I was left staring after her completely dumbfounded. I should have been livid, I should have been pissed out of my mind. I should have been a lot of things.

But I wasn't.

I was too busy smirking and trying to calm the sudden urge I had to jump out of the car and take her right there against the hood.

There were two thoughts going through my mind as I watched her storm away, swinging her hips seductively.

Damn… she's so hot when she's angry!

And...

I can not wait for that second date.

It looks like I'm going to have to tame this Wildcat, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

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><p><strong>AN: So here it is, finally... I know. The long awaited follow-up. I hope it was okay, as you can probably tell it's not a oneshot. No, I've decided these two have a story to be told that will be a little longer than originally planned. I'm thinking seven chapters but I haven't outlined the whole thing yet. That being said, I have no idea when this will get updated since I'm overwhelmed with work and other things at the moment. I also have RH to finish and other various works that get stuck in my head. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and my apologies for any grammatical errors. **

**P.S. I have Twitter now and a livejournal account, links in my profile.**

**P.S.S. Um... I'm debating adding some M-rated material in here but only if you guys want it. Let me know. It would be my first attempt but one I'm willing to make just to experiment with something different.  
><strong>


	2. Part II

**A King And His Ginger © Midnight113. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or have any affiliation to it. **

**Synopsis: (Troy) I thought she was perfect. (Gabriella) I thought he was a self-centered, rich, arrogant Golden Boy of West High. (Troy) God I wanted her. (Gabriella) God I wanted him… to leave me alone. Continuation of The Firework King and Ginger. T&G.**

_**A warning to all potential thieves, this work is copyright 2012 Midnight113.**_ _**A King And His Ginger is completely the work and property of Midnight113, to reproduce under any other name is theft! **_

* * *

><p><em>A King And His Ginger<em>

_Part II_

**"~*~"**

**"-"**

**'-'**

* * *

><p><strong>Ginger<strong>

**Mood: Angry, Satisfied, Immensely Turned On… Shit**

I can't believe I did that. What was I thinking! I dropped the rest of that delicious coffee on his lap. Damn… it was such a good cup of coffee too. That's all I could think about through all of my classes and it was pissing me off. That… and the satisfying smirk that crept up on my face whenever I thought about the genuine look of shock that he had by the action.

I was so bad… a part of me felt a little guilty for being so naughty, but he deserved it. Plus, I loved that look on his face. It was the same look he had when I pushed him into his pool. Ah, I love that memory. He's such a cocky bastard, no wonder he's gotten so far in life. No problems, no worries, his mommy and daddy always there to bail him out if his credit card was ever maxed out.

Heh… it was pathetic, really.

He probably has no sense of how someone like me lives and survives in this world on eight bucks an hour working my ass off as a freakin sales associate. Folding clothes and waiting on snotty, middle aged woman every day that always have something to complain about. He has no clue and he never will because everything is just handed to him on a silver platter. He shows it off like he's the greatest damn thing that's ever happened to the human population.

Well he's not. And the faster he learns that, the better. For everyone involved, especially me. I don't know how much more I can handle. Now I have to go on another date with the guy.

The worst part was that I was actually; kinda looking forward to seeing what else he had up his sleeve. He was trying to court me like a gentleman from the 1800's or whatever and so far it had been… a memorable experience.

Ever since that stupid carnival he had been surprising me and throwing curve balls. I never expected to find him attractive or actually have him pursue me. Sure I thought he was cute when I saw him on the bumper cars when he so obnoxiously tried to kill me. And he was pretty gorgeous when the fireworks were going off overhead by the ferris wheel. But that was before I knew who he was. That was before I knew he was the enemy. God, what have I gotten myself into? No… not me. This is Shar's fault. Just keep telling yourself that, Gabi.

Well speak of the devil…

"Hey, Crabby Gabi," a familiar voice called.

Walking through the large red doors of East High, I descended the stairs and waited until I was at the bottom before turning to my blonde friend who was waiting for me.

"What do you want?" I seethed when my eyes finally met hers. Not bothering to stop and chat, I kept going right past her.

"Wait, whoa… what are you mad at me for?" I heard Sharpay's frantic steps from her high heeled boots as she followed after me through the parking lot. "I didn't do anything."

"_You_ didn't do anything? You didn't do _anything_? Sharpay, you blew me off this morning because of Troy freakin Bolton… or don't you remember that?"

"Oh, that." She waved her hand in the air as I stopped and stared at her with my mouth agape.

"Yeah that! The one time I needed you to step up as my best friend and help me and you fed me to the sharks. And not just any shark, but the worst shark of them all, " I shouted, hoping my frustration was clearly evident to her.

"Troy Bolton," Sharpay quietly supplied.

"Yes him… that arrogant asshole."

"You know, I really don't see what the problem is, he likes you-"

"Ding, ding, ding… we have a winner." I pointed at her face and then began to clap in a move that I would have considered obnoxious as hell, if she didn't totally deserve it.

I watched Sharpay place her hands on her hips and sigh. "Come on Gabs, why don't you just give him a chance?"

I scoffed. "Impossible, we're from completely different worlds. He would never be able to understand anything I've had to go through."

"People can surprise you."

"Not in a good way." It was a truthful statement, one I wholeheartedly believed. Up until recently at least, all thanks to Mr. Hotshot Firework King. Now I was starting to question whether or not I was wrong. Ugh! No, don't do that. Stay strong, Gabs, remember goose liver.

I followed her out to her convertible, sneering towards the hot pink car that had to be the ugliest thing I'd ever seen. Besides Troy Bolton's face that is… okay, bad example. Who am I kidding; his face is the equivalent of a Greek God's.

"Gabi, are you listening to me?"

I groaned. "No."

Sharpay visibly pouted at me and I rolled my eyes. "You're thinking about him aren't you?" She asked me. What the hell… I was not! His face might have crossed my mind for a second, but only a second. It's her fault anyway. It's her car I was thinking about that caused the Knight to invade my thoughts. "You are aren't you?" She exclaimed as if she had just discovered something amazing. Pssh, please…

"No I'm not."

"Oh you so are!"

"Ah, shut up Shar. If you must know I was thinking about your car and how ugly it is."

"Yeah, but I already know how you feel about my baby." Her hand slid along the sleek, shiny surface of the sports car and I sighed. Folding my arms, I addressed her with a disinterested look.

"Then you shouldn't be surprised that it made me think about… _him_." The word rolled off my tongue with contempt.

"Ah ha!" She snapped her fingers an inch from my face and I jerked back to avoid her five inch nails from poking my eye out. "So you were thinking about him."

Oh God… of course I was thinking about him. I hadn't been able to get him off my mind since I'd met him. The guy had that kind of effect on people. Damn him.

What annoyed me the most was that I kept replaying our last conversation over and over again in my head. The rough edge to his voice when he lowered it and the way his eyes would flicker to mine when he thought I wasn't looking. I was always watching though… I couldn't help myself. He was Troy Bolton.

"Well it looks like he was thinking about you too." Sharpay smirked, her keys jingling in her hand as she mimicked me by folding her arms. What did she mean by that? I watched her eyes dart over my shoulder as she leaned against the door to her 'baby'. Curious, I turned around.

Somehow I wasn't at all surprised to see the epitome of all things I hated in the form of a mustang speeding up through the school parking lot towards me. Slamming on the brakes, the car skidded slightly; the tires squeaking as it jerked to a sudden stop a few feet beside me.

I stared with a deadpanned expression at the tinted window as it slowly rolled down, revealing a smirking Troy Bolton. "Miss me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Enter The Firework King In All His Glory<strong>

**Mood: Excited For The Day Ahead, Nervous And Feeling Better Than Ever**

There she was; standing next to Blondie with a face of complete indifference. As if she was trying really hard to mask her excitement with my appearance. I can't say that I blame her, really. Seeing me after going so long without usually caused the ladies to freak. She was doing a good job at keeping a poker face, though. I almost bought it, but I knew better. Her eye twitched suddenly and I leaned over out my window, placing both my elbows along the edge.

A car passed by us, its speakers turned up so high I was momentarily deaf to her response. Once the car had disappeared, I asked her to repeat herself. "What did you say, Ginger?"

"How can I miss something I don't even like?" Her sultry voice made its way over the stretch of space between us and I frowned.

"Ouch. Don't let my car hear you." I mockingly gave the steering wheel a pet. "There, there baby… she doesn't know what she's saying. She's just angry because she's so attracted to me." It was so obvious that was her problem… among other things. Who would have thought I'd find myself so fucking hot for someone with such an array of issues? It was all good, though, because… well, I liked her, plain and simple.

I listened to Ginger growl at me and I smirked, studying her figure. Damn, she looked hotter than I remembered. Fantasizing about her all day did lots for my imagination and little for curing my libido. Well, it was time to do something about that.

"Come on, Ginger, get in." I leaned over and pushed the passenger door open in invitation. When I looked back over at her she had a scowl forming on her pretty little face. "Lots to do and little time, chop-chop," I snapped my fingers at her but she didn't appear at all amused. I grinned. "You want your keys back or not?"

She rolled her eyes and shared a look of utter contempt with Blondie before swinging her bag around. "Manipulative jerk," she muttered loudly enough for me to hear. I smirked and watched her sexy ass as it rounded the hood of my car. Her friend shouted a quick, 'have fun', but I noticed Gabriella didn't reply as she plopped herself down next to me. Slamming the door, she threw her bag over her shoulder, aiming it so that it smacked right into the side of my head. I glared at her for a moment until she innocently shrugged. With that, we were off.

I shoved my foot down hard on the accelerator and her body jerked back into her seat from the unexpected thrust. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye as she struggled with her seatbelt and resisted the urge to snicker. As we bolted out of the parking lot, I removed my hand from the shift and picked up and plastic cup. "This is for you." I handed the drink over and she looked at it curiously. "Don't worry, I learned my lesson. No more hot beverages near you. This one is ice coffee." I sent her a charming smile and winked.

"You're not afraid I'm gonna drop this one on your lap too?" she asked, taking the cup greedily from my outstretched hand and sipping at its contents. I heard her moan and bit back a chuckle. I guess it helped that I asked Blondie what other drinks my Ginger enjoyed. Score for me.

"Nah… if you do, then it will just prolong you getting your keys," I explained. "You wouldn't want that to happen, right?" I tilted my head innocently and stared at her for a moment. "Besides, I don't have another pair of clean pants in my trunk so…" I trialed off, feeling her eyes fall on my black track pants. I always kept a spare in my car in case anything happened. Thinking back to my little Ginger's outburst and the coffee incident, I was glad I had the extra clean pants… I knew someday they would come in handy.

Gabriella huffed and turned her focus to the view of Main Street as we sped through town. "Speaking of my keys, give them to me."

"All In good time," I replied, taking a quick turn that headed up the ramp towards the freeway to the city.

I saw her expression when she noticed the change in direction and smiled. She looked so cute when she was confused about something. Fuck, the things she did to me. "Where are we going?" She sounded so timid and quiet that I was shocked by the difference in tone. It took me a minute to answer her.

"It's a surprise. Date number two begins in about an hour. So just sit back, relax and enjoy your ice coffee that I expertly had made for you." I listened to her straw slurp up the last remains of the liquid and couldn't help myself, I burst out in laughter. "I take that back, looks like you did enjoy it." I did a sideways glance and saw the pink tint appear on her cheeks as she fumbled with the cup. "You're cute when you blush, did you know that?"

To my surprise, she placed the empty cup back in its holder and mumbled, "Shut up." I had expected her to shout, scream or even physically assault me. So you can imagine I was pleasantly shocked when all she did was mumble and settle back in her seat. That's the thing about Gabriella, though, she's always surprising me.

* * *

><p><strong>Ginger<strong>

**Mood: Grumpy, Tired, Curious, And Shocked.**

"Are you fucking serious?" I asked him while staring out the windshield with a look of pure incredulity. We had been driving for a couple hours, but I guess I hadn't been paying attention to the signs because I couldn't believe where we were.

Pulling into an empty parking space, he looked over at me and grinned. "What, something wrong?"

I motioned to the sign over our head and then to the area off in the distance. "The zoo, really, are you trying to kill me?"

"I take it you don't like zoos." He blinked and shook his head. "Well, too bad. I love them." Was he kidding? Please tell me this was a joke. My eyes widened and I watched him jump out of his car in giddy excitement. What. The. Hell. When he noticed I hadn't moved from my seat, he lowered his head and peered at me through the open door. "Let's go, Ginger. We don't have all day. They close in a couple hours."

I couldn't believe it. The king of West High had brought me to the zoo for our second date. This seemed so… not like what I expected. Definitely not what I expected because, well, there was this little fact I guess he overlooked. See, there was one other thing I hated more than carnivals. That… was the zoo. I know that must make me look like the biggest bitch ever, but I swear it's not like that. Just bad personal memories that's all. I really do love animals. Well, the subject of goose is still up in the air for me since that last date.

"Gabriella?" I looked up at him and furrowed my brow. Had he been talking to me? "Come on, I was doing some research lately and I read they have a really cool penguin exhibit this month." Then it dawned on me. That's why he'd brought me here. He remembered me telling him I loved penguins. Shit! This is by far the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Well damn, he'd done it again. First with the firework display at his castle and now… I, I didn't know what to say. He had rendered me speechless, something that seemed to happen a lot in his presence. My mouth felt dry as I tried to rack my brain for the right words, but I drew a blank. I hadn't even heard him shut his door or come around to open mine. I did, however, feel his hand around my arm as he slowly pulled me out of my frozen state. "You all right?" he asked with concern.

"I hate zoos." That seemed to be the only logical string of words I could come up with given the circumstances.

"I kinda figured when you froze up and didn't get out of the car," his husky voice invaded my mind and I had to stop myself from throwing my arms around him and pushing him up against the side of his car. "It's not because of the ferris wheel experience is it?" I frowned and shook my head. "Okay, good. Then maybe I can change your mind. If not, well, maybe you can pick where we go on date number three." I gawked at him as he took my hand, locked his car and proceeded to steer me in the direction of the zoo's entrance.

"I told you this was the last date, Bolton. Once I have my keys back this little game of yours is over." I informed him with a clear and steady tone. Now that I was past my shock of the whole zoo thing, I was starting to focus again and that left me even more confused and pissed off.

"Whatever you say, Ginger." I scowled at his apparent disinterest in my comment. What did he think I was lying about it? I was about to say something snarky back, but I bit my lip as we walked up to an open booth. I stood to the side and watched him pull out his wallet. He must have had twenty different credit cards in there. I didn't even know you could have that many. Suddenly, I felt completely inadequate next to him and more than anything I wanted that feeling to go away. I pushed up beside him and pulled out what little cash I had left over from lunch from my pocket.

"I'll pay for myself. How much is it?" I looked up at the prices and nearly choked on my saliva. Fourteen dollars to walk around a park of animals, are you shitting me? I'd just as soon go to the local park and stare at the squirrels and ducks than spend that much at the zoo. I don't care if they do have an 'exotic' collection of wildlife… and penguins.

"No, I got it," Troy shoved his credit card at the lady before I could give her my measly five dollar bill and two pennies. I looked down at the amount in my hands and fought off the frown wanting to appear. How embarrassing.

"Here," I tried to shove the money in his wallet but he shut it so fast it nearly clipped my fingers off. "Troy," I growled and put my hand out. "Take the money."

"It's all right, you keep it. Buy yourself a snack with it later or something." I hated that he didn't even bother to grace with me with a stare, too busy signing his receipt.

"If you don't take it, I won't go in." A threat was all I had left of my dignity, but apparently it didn't have much of an effect.

"I think it's mighty sweet your boyfriend wants to pay for you. There should be more nice young men like him in the world." The older woman in the booth smiled at us. I attempted to smile, but I knew it was a grimace.

"He's not my boyfriend."

The older woman looked surprised and Troy leaned over and winked. "I am. She just doesn't know it yet." The woman laughed in delight and I rolled my eyes at the exchange. After thanking the woman, Troy handed me my ticket. "Off we go."

Before he could take another step, I stuffed my money down his pant pocket, a move which seemed to catch him off guard. When I stepped back to look at him, I realized my hand was still inside his pocket. We stood frozen as he looked down at me thoughtfully and then a smirk spread across his face. "Ww-what?" I stuttered nervously not liking my current predicament.

"If you wanted to get into my pants that bad, I could have just taken you back to the car. We are in public, you know. Unless you like that sort of thing," he shrugged and I almost gagged. "I've never had sex in public, but there's always a first time for everything I guess."

"You're sick!" I exclaimed and earned a few awkward glances from people.

"You're the one with your hand down my pants," he chuckled and I immediately pulled my hand from his pocket, making sure to drop the cash in.

"It's not down your – you know what? Whatever." I was suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion and just wanted this outing to end so I could get home and start studying for my next decathlon match with Taylor. "Let's just get this over with."

"Excellent, after you," he motioned for me to move forward through security and I handed my ticket to the man at the stand. Once we were through, I waited for Troy to pick up a map and choose a pathway but he didn't. Instead, he just started walking down one.

"Hey," I power walked after him and frowned. "What are you doing? We need a map."

"No we don't," he smiled and I felt a flutter pass through my body. Bad, Gabriella. Focus.

I nodded, "Yes, we do. Otherwise we'll get lost."

The arrogant ass that he is, Troy laughed and shook his head at me. "We won't get lost; there are plenty of signs around." He pointed at one just to prove he knew what he was talking about. Well, sorry buddy, but I don't want to rely on some signs covered with bird shit and leaves.

"I'm getting a map," I declared and then stubbornly turned and headed towards the kiosk of maps. Troy's hand reached out and grabbed my arm before I could make it more than two steps.

"Hold on there, Ginger. You need a new lesson in life." Oh do I?

"I do, huh? What's that?"

"You need to learn how to have fun." What is it with everyone thinking I don't know how to have fun? "We'll start with no maps. Part of the fun is to explore without knowing what you're gonna find."

"Says the guy who knows about a penguin exhibit," I mumbled. Score one for me, hypocrite.

"That was strictly for beneficial purposes. I knew it was one of your favorite animals, so I used that to my advantage to plan a satisfying day together. I didn't waste time looking at maps." I scoffed, no wonder he was a basketball player. He must be lacking in the intelligence department if he thought being informed was a waste of time.

Placing a hand on my hip, I cocked my head. "Satisfying? So far the day has sucked."

"I'll change that," his hand was suddenly in mine and we were walking down one of the random pathways the led further into the zoo. I looked up quickly to see if I could catch a glimpse of a sign to see where we were heading, but I couldn't find one. Darn.

* * *

><p><strong>The Firework King<strong>

**Mood: Excited, Happy, Turned On And Having A Good Time With Ginger.**

I gripped her hand in mine tightly and felt her resist. Her feet were planted to the cement walkway and for a second I thought she was going to make me pick her up and carry her. A second passed before she sighed and caught up to me. I felt her presence beside me as we walked along down the pathway. A couple minutes later I spotted the first sign. "Look, monkeys." I dragged her to the edge of the little outlook where you could stand and try to see the monkeys on their little island habitat. "Check it out, those two must be in love." I pointed at two monkeys that were sitting on a branch.

"What makes you think that?" Gabriella leaned forward to get a better look.

"Because, she keeps hitting him on the head and he keeps letting her," I smiled. Love does make guys do stupid things I guess, even animals.

"First off, I doubt that means they're in love. Secondly, every monkey in this habitat is a female."

I rolled my eyes. "How do you know Ms. Smarty Pants?"

She looked at me with those beautiful eyes and smirked. Fuck, I love when she does that. "Because the sign says they are." Oh. Well, shit.

"Killjoy," I muttered, not wanting to show the hit to my pride. "Let's go find something else to look at." I grabbed her hand and led her down another pathway to an exhibit I knew she would like. "Here we go." I announced as we walked up to the cage.

"What? Alligators," she looked at me weirdly as I nodded.

"Yeah, one of your ancestors." She quirked and eyebrow and I grinned. "You know, because you snap, Ginger." As she processed my words, her face softened and she shoved me. I heard a giggle escape her lips and a smile appeared. Yes! I got her to smile! Finally, I thought she'd never loosen up. Just as fast as it had happened, she had caught herself and immediately stopped.

"That wasn't funny," she felt the need to clarify that her reaction had simply been to amuse me, rather than a genuine one.

I shook my head and grinned, "No, of course not."

"Are we done yet?" She asked, but I could tell she was just trying to change the subject and not let me think she was starting to enjoy herself.

"No way, we didn't even see the penguins yet." I heard her groan and decided to mess with her a little bit. Leaning over, I placed my lips right near her ear and felt her body tense. I knew it, she's all talk. There's no fighting our attraction to each other. My lips pressed against her ear slightly and I had to summon every ounce of control I had in order to not just take her right then and there. Fuck public indecency, I blame her vanilla scent for intoxicating me to the point of not caring if I got arrested right now for acting on my body's desires. I placed my hands on her hips and ran my thumb just above her belt until it collided with her warm skin. A low groan emitted from me and I closed my eyes, concentrating on my breathing. In… out…

"What are you doing?" I heard her whisper and was only a little alarmed when she leaned back, pushing herself against me. My lips brushed the sensitive spot just below her ear. That was all the invitation I needed. I started peppering light butterfly kisses along her jaw and neck. Her skin was so soft and smooth, I was addicted. I needed it to survive like the air I needed to breathe. I don't know how she did it, how she managed to affect me like this, but I didn't want it to ever end.

I placed one final kiss against her neck and saw the goosebumps appear on her skin. Pulling away I replied in a husky whisper, "Trying to regain my control so that I don't fuck you senseless right here." I could tell my blunt admission had caught her off guard when I heard her gulp and pull away from me.

"I… I think we should go this way." She gestured in some random direction and stumbled slightly as she walked away. I watched her go with a smirk, my eyes glued to her backside that was nicely accentuated in her tight jeans. I followed the curve of her ass and my eyes fell on the curve of her hips. Every dirty thought imaginable shot through my head and I resisted the urge to indulge in my fantasy. Instead, I reluctantly shook the image away and ran after her.

She surprised me by leading us to the enclosed penguin exhibit inside one of the buildings. I watched her intently as she grabbed the railing and leaned forward to get a closer glimpse through the glass tank. She looked relaxed and like she was finally enjoying herself for once. The sight made me smile, but only while she wasn't looking. The way she was staring at the penguins had me curious and so I moved to stand beside her to observe them. "So, why do you love penguins?" Gabriella looked over at me and then back to the little tuxedo wearing creatures gliding through the water.

"My dad use to bring me here. I always loved watching these guys."

I could hear a hint of emotion in her voice, but I decided to just nod and listen. "They are pretty cool little dudes." I smiled again when she laughed and nodded in agreement.

"I know right? Some species even mate for life. I didn't understand what that meant as a little kid, but now, I have a different amount of respect for them. Plus, they're really dedicated to their young. I mean, when I think about the shit they go through in the wild just to have an egg and keep it safe and care for it… I feel like–"

"There's no excuse for us to not act that way too." I had a gut feeling she was going to say it, partly because I felt the same way too. I also knew why I felt that way. It was because of my parents. That led me to an interesting thought. "Gabriella?"

"Hmm?"

"You mentioned living with your mom – so where's your dad?" I saw her body become rigid and I cursed myself. Way to go, idiot. She was just starting to open up. You just had to go and ruin it by bringing up what was obviously a sore subject. But how could I have known that? Wasn't that the point of dates, to get to know each other?

"Don't know, don't care." My head spun to stare at her and I knew I must have had a strange look on my face. What did that mean? "So let's go find some birds."

I watched her turn to walk away. She hadn't made it very far before she bumped into the back of some guy. He quickly reached a hand out to help her before she fell over, an action that allowed me to see part of his face. I saw him smile at her, a gesture she quickly returned.

I saw red and my fist clenched by my side. I could feel my teeth grinding against each other like a drill and a hammer were having a party in my mouth. I couldn't believe my luck because the guy who Gabriella was so adamantly being sweet to, the one who was flirting with her, was no other than Ethan Chambers.

The captain of East High's Wildcats and my number one enemy.

Fuck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: No I haven't forgotten about this story. Wow has it really been that long since I've updated? Sorry. :( I've just been busy and it's hard to get in the right mood to write this. I'm back now and definitely going to finish. Anyway, to those of you who are still reading, I hope you enjoyed. I already started the next chapter so expect it in the next couple weeks. Also, I'm going to be making a little jump over to Fiction Press with some of my work if anyone is interested. And lastly you can follow me on Twitter now. Link in profile. As always, my apologies for any errors.**


	3. Part III

**A King And His Ginger © Midnight113. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or have any affiliation to it. **

**Synopsis: (Troy) I thought she was perfect. (Gabriella) I thought he was a self-centered, rich, arrogant Golden Boy of West High. (Troy) God I wanted her. (Gabriella) God I wanted him… to leave me alone. Continuation of The Firework King and Ginger. T&G.**

_**A warning to all potential thieves, this work is copyright 2012 Midnight113.**_ _**A King And His Ginger is completely the work and property of Midnight113, to reproduce under any other name is theft! **_

* * *

><p><em>A King And His Ginger<em>

_Part III_

**"~*~"**

**"-"**

**'-'**

* * *

><p><strong>The Firework King<strong>

**Mood: Angry, Pissed Off, Fucking Jealous As Hell.**

I stood completely still for a minute and quietly observed them. I don't know what pissed me off more, the fact that he was flirting with my girl, or the fact that she was letting him. What the hell? Have I not acted the same exact way with her? Oh, but no. With me she glares and threatens me to leave her alone or else. I guess Ethan fucktard Chambers gets special treatment I wasn't aware of. Damn, I had no idea they knew each other. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since they did go to the same school. It was likely they'd pass each other in the halls, but this was different.

I watched Ethan rest his hand on her arm and I wanted to punch his fucking face in. Who the hell does he think he is, touching her like that? My teeth were grinding together and I think Gabriella must have heard it because she looked over at me and frowned. Yeah, that's right… I'm still here.

I couldn't take it any longer. I wanted to be the one who makes her smile and laugh, not him. Why, why did it have to be Ethan? What shit luck did I have that I chose the one place he just happened to be visiting as well. Without a second thought, I marched over to them and put myself directly next to Gabriella and in his line of vision. Ethan finally noticed me and his smile fell. "Bolton, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my date." My hand possessively curled around Gabriella's backside and I felt her body tense from my proximity.

Ethan's eyes bounced between us. "Date, really? Are you two together?"

"No"

"Yes," I said and looked over at Gabriella with narrowed eyes. "We are together. This is our second date and the beginning of a long term relationship." I clarified, smiling smugly.

Ethan ignored me and looked to Gabriella for confirmation. I squeezed her in reassurance, hoping for the love of fireworks she wouldn't flake out and diss me in front of this asshole. "We are on a date… I guess. It's a long story; he's trying to convince me we're perfect together-"

"So you're still fair game, Montez?" Ethan smirked and leaned towards her. I glared and stepped forward to block him from getting any closer.

"I… uh…" Gabriella stammered and shied away from him.

"No, she's not." I scowled and tilted my chin up in challenge. "Are you deaf, man? I mean, I know your game sucks, but at least your hearing should be intact."

"You got a problem, Bolton? Last I checked you didn't speak for her," Ethan lifted his own chin and moved closer to me. We were so close I could feel his breath on my face. We were about the same height; same muscle tone and I know we were the same weight. I could take him. In fact, if he made another move on Gabriella I would kick his ass. "Why don't you step aside and let us Wildcats talk, huh? Maybe she wants a winner instead of a loser Knight like you. Consider that next time you talk about my game."

Oh low blow. He was of course referring to our last game of East against West. Unfortunately I had screwed up the final shot and ended up losing the game for my team, something which has upset me ever since. I had a lot on my mind that day, though. My father hadn't spoken to me for weeks after that. Every time he looked at me I could see the disappointment and it seriously messed with my head.

I chuckled humorously and lifted my hand. "Look Chambers, I don't want to instigate anything here. You and I can handle our differences on the court. So why don't you just go back to whatever you were doing and we'll be on our way." Ethan's face twisted into a nasty glare and before I could react, he had shoved me back a couple feet. My shoulder bumped into Gabriella and I heard her gasp and say Ethan's name. Smiling as pleasantly as I could, I shook my head and looked over at her.

Ethan was staring at her now too. "Brie, you're not seriously hanging out with this douche bag are you?" Brie? Or so he had a nickname for her, did he? Well not if I had anything to say about it. I wanted badly to just throw my fist through this guy's face, but I resisted the urge and decided that I was curious to hear what Gabriella would say. Would she defend me?

"Ethan…" Gabriella lowered her voice and tilted her head down. I knew she didn't like a lot of attention and our little exchange in the middle of the penguin exhibit wasn't doing much to help that. "It's okay; I'll just see you at school tomorrow." Okay, not exactly what I wanted, but it was still a nice F.U. to that ass face.

"But-"

"I'm here with Troy. So I'll see you tomorrow, all right?" Yes! Nice one, babe. Okay, I feel much better now.

Ethan had this sad little pathetic frown on his face and when he finally nodded, I felt like doing a fist pump. "Okay, see ya, Brie." Take that, shithead. My girl just told you to take a flying leap. Before he turned away, he shot me one last evil look and then disappeared back into the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>Ginger<strong>

**Mood: Slightly Confused And A Tad Upset.**

I couldn't believe it. Troy Bolton was jealous of me and Ethan Chambers. How ridiculous was that? I mean, I have never even liked Ethan and yet he was acting like we had a history or something. Was he doing that just to piss Troy off?

"Come on; let's go find your birds." Troy grabbed my hand and we started walking, pretending that the last ten minutes hadn't just happened. Okay, then. I guess we were just going to ignore Ethan popping up and them almost beating the shit out of each other.

"I can't stand that guy," Troy seethed from beside me. Oh, okay… I guess we are going to talk about it. "Gabriella?"

"Yeah?" I looked down at my feet, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"You… you don't like him, do you?" I could hear the vulnerable tone in his question. It momentarily excited me that he cared enough to be bothered. No guy had ever acted or behaved that way with me before. And… well, I kinda liked it.

"He's okay," I noticed his body stiffen beside me and resisted the urge to smirk. He really was jealous. What a perfect time for some payback. Cue evil cackle.

"Oh," Troy mumbled. "You mean in a friendly, brotherly, completely platonic way… right? Cuz the guy is a serious douche, Gabriella." I wanted to laugh with how desperate Troy sounded trying to convince me that Ethan was an ass. I knew he was. I didn't need Troy to tell me that. I did go to the same school with the guy. He was basically the equivalent of Troy, except he attended East High instead of West. I had the pleasure of observing Ethan's playboy ways on a daily basis and that only reinforced my commitment to keep Troy at arm's length. The last thing I needed was a rich playboy in my life.

That being said, I couldn't help myself with this golden opportunity. "Well, actually… Ethan is kinda cute in that boyish sort of way."

3… 2… 1…

"WHAT!" And right on time. I knew that would make him snap. "Are you insane? That guy, you think that guy is cute?" Troy's face was turning red now, his veins bulging out of his forehead as we walked down a deserted pathway to the aviary. "What the hell, Ginger! You can't be serious. I'm way better than that… that arrogant, self-centered troll."

That's when the grin I had been suppressing finally revealed itself. I couldn't contain my amusement any longer and a laugh escaped my lips. I know, shocking isn't it? Troy stopped walking, confused with my sudden outburst, and proceeded to look at me like I had three heads. I paused just a few feet ahead of him and smiled. "Wow, I've never seen someone get so jealous before. It's pretty funny."

His eyes narrowed after a moment and then it finally clicked. "I'm not jealous, I'm fucking mad. There's a big difference."

Oh, naturally. I continued to just smirk at him, reveling in my brilliant scheme to annoy him. It was so much fun.

"Are you done?" he asked, eyes still squinted in displeasure. Oh, yeah… I guess I am.

I nodded, satisfied with myself. "Seriously, you should have seen your face."

Troy started walking towards me, and just as he passed he paused and tilted his head down near my face. "Just for that, you're not getting your keys back until I decide you're mature enough to drive again." With that, he kept walking.

Why that little shit.

"Excuse me, but I do believe I was doing just fine before you stole my keys." Ugh, he made me so angry. By the time I turned around he was already at the entrance to the aviary. How the hell did he get over there so fast? I quickened my steps, cursing my short legs in the process until I was at the door. I half expected him to let it slam in my face, but he surprised me again by choosing to hold it open for me. Weirdo.

No way was I thanking him for his kind gesture. I walked through, ignoring his little bow as I passed. Pssh, he doesn't fool me for one second with his gorgeous body and dreamy eyes… gah… stop it, Gabriella! Just don't look at him for the rest of the day and you'll be fine.

* * *

><p><strong>The King… again<strong>

**Mood: Annoyed, Frustrated, Getting Hungry.**

You know, she thinks she's so cute with that little smirk and sway of her hips… and she is, that's the problem. I can't get mad at her. But I don't appreciate her teasing me and taking advantage of the fact that I hate Chambers guts. That's just mean. Fuck, I almost had a heart attack when she called him cute. That ugly SOB… yuck! Talk about an easy sure way to piss me off. Good thing she was kidding around or I don't know what I'd do.

I snuck a glance at her as we left the bird place, curious as to why she had become so quiet all of a sudden. Hmm… that's interesting. She's not gracing me with that scowl of hers. Maybe I did something right for a change.

That's when I saw it, nestled on the side of the path.

Ice cream!

Yes! I'm so freaking hungry. When I looked at Gabriella to see if she had also spotted the delicious delight that overloaded my senses (much like she was capable of doing to me), she wasn't at all excited like I was. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her into line.

"What the hell? What are we doing now?" There's my snapping little Ginger.

I grinned and leaned in close to her face. "We're getting ice cream."

Her doe eyes widened and she looked so incredibly innocent and sexy. "I don't want any."

Well holy shit, I've never heard anyone decline free ice cream before. Was this chick for real? "Um… are you sure?" I asked with a blank stare. She nodded. Well, all right then. Weirdo. As I reached into my wallet, I remembered how odd she had been concerning money at the front gate. Ah… that explains it. Then I remembered the money she had shoved into my pocket earlier. God, she was so determined to pay her own way. One of the many things I admired about her, but didn't she know she didn't have to worry about that with me? Sighing, I pulled out my credit card and placed my order. When I knew Gabriella wasn't looking, I whispered to the kid making the cone to double the order.

He handed me two whopping cones full of ice cream. Hell yeah. Bring it on. When I turned around to find Gabriella, she was staring absentmindedly at a little fountain by the bathrooms, a far off look on her face. I stepped up behind her so I could whisper in her ear. "Hey, you okay?"

Her body unfroze and she focused on the cone I was holding out to her. Eyebrows furrowed, she looked up at me. "I told you I didn't want one."

I smiled a charming smile. "You better take it fast, it's melting." As I said it, a glob of strawberry dripped down and landed on my finger. She made a face, frowning and reluctantly taking the cone from my grasp. I lifted my hand and sucked the ice cream off my finger. When I noticed how immersed she was by it, I smirked and dramatized the action, making sure to move my tongue slowly and deliberately over the cool liquid.

As nonchalantly as I could, I motioned to her cone. "You better hurry up and lick it." Three points for a nice double meaning. Her eyes were clouded with desire. It was so obvious. I'd seen the look before countless times from the ladies. But never had it affected me the same way as she did. Blinking, she looked at her cone and her face twisted from desire to embarrassment. With a huff, she turned away and started to eat her ice cream.

"Fine, I'll eat it, but I'm not gonna like it."

* * *

><p><strong>Ginger<strong>

**Mood: Grumpy, Turned On.**

Shit this ice cream is good, almost as good as watching him lick it off his finger. Freaking-A that was hot! No wonder the ice cream was melting, and it was strawberry. Wait, how the hell… "I never told you my favorite flavor." I commented between licks.

Troy smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, Blondie helped there too."

Figures, I'm gonna have to have another talk with that girl. "Of course she did."

"It's good, though, right?" He sounded nervous, his eyes darting over my half-eaten cone. Crap, I ate that thing fast. I didn't bother to grace him with a response. Instead, I gulped down the rest of the cone and immediately regretted it when an ice cream headache blasted through my skull. What irony. Suddenly I was reminded of the fact that he had just treated me, yet again, to something.

"I'll pay you back once I get home." I rubbed my arm awkwardly, knowing I probably didn't have any spare change in my purse other than the five dollars I had already handed him for my ticket.

Troy scoffed, his cone already gone. "Why are you so concerned about money?"

What a stupid question. Why would he even ask me that? Oh, right. Because he doesn't know what it's like to be poor. "I don't know, maybe because I don't have any."

He was quietly looking down at his feet, considering my words thoughtfully. It angered me that he could be so oblivious about something that literally affected my life on a day to day basis. I knew it; he's just like all the rest. Pretty narcissist playboys obsessed with sex, food and sleep. He might have planned a couple of romantic dates, if you can call tricking someone into eating goose liver romantic, but that was all he had to offer. I shouldn't have been surprised; he was similar to Ethan in almost every way.

I decided then and there that this date had gone on long enough. What I hadn't expected was for Troy to grip my elbow and hold me in place.

"Wait," he spoke urgently. "Gabriella. It's okay to let people treat you to things."

Was he serious? "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is, especially when that person wants to."

"But I don't want you to!"

"Why not?" He was frowning, his voice low and curious.

"Because it's embarrassing, okay, it's pathetic to need help from strangers. I don't want to owe anyone anything!" I could feel myself shaking, and hear it in my voice. I didn't want my emotions to get the better of me, not here in this public place; surrounded by tourists, happy families, ice cream and animals.

Before I could run away, Troy stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around my arms. He pulled me close until I was pressed up against his chest. "It's not pathetic, Ginger." He lifted a hand and gently moved a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. I shivered, trying to convince myself it was because of the breeze… but I knew better.

I shook my head, wanting to disappear, but he wouldn't let me. His warm palms rubbed my arms, and I felt like putty in his expert hands. It's not fair that he could have this affect on me, even now. Damn it.

He lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. He offered me a small smile, and tilted his head. "I'm not a stranger either." Well, he had a point there. I was about to argue with him when he dipped his head and brushed his nose against mine. Sparks shot through my nerve endings and I froze, not daring to breath. "I'm not judging you, or helping you. I'm doing what any guy would do with a beautiful girl. I'm taking her out and waiting for her to want to be with me just as much as I want to be with her."

I was startled by his blunt words and made a move to back away from him. He noticed my unease and immediately released me. "Troy, we can't."

He didn't seem the least bit phased by my words. "I'm not giving up on you."

"Then you're going to be stuck waiting for a long time." It was the honest truth after all. Might as well let him know ahead of time because there was no way we could ever consider dating.

Troy seemed lost in thought, his face scrunched cutely. "I'll wait." He smirked and looked around. "Looks like this place is closing up," he commented, watching people head towards the exit. I hadn't even realized all the time that had passed. I guess I had been having a good time, but I'd never tell him that.

When Troy looked back at me he smirked. "Let's get out here."

And for the first time, I actually agreed with him.

* * *

><p><strong>His Majesty The Firework King<strong>

**Mood: Still Hanging In There, More Confident Than Ever.**

Man, I didn't think it was possible to find her more attractive than I already did. She's so passionate about everything, especially paying her own way. That's just not something I would have imagined as a good quality with a women, but it is. She's strong spirited and feisty as hell, such a fucking turn on. It's becoming increasingly difficult to control myself around her, even now.

As we walk back through the large parking lot outside the zoo, I can't help but let my eyes trail over her backside. Yes, I was hanging back pretending to tie my shoe so I could catch another glimpse of her luscious curves, and no I'm not ashamed. Go ahead and call me a pig, I don't care. It would be worth it.

Today's plan to go to the zoo kinda backfired on me. I mean Ethan fucktard Chambers was not on the itinerary for the day and neither was my sudden urge to pummel him in his ugly face. At least I feel like I understand Gabriella better than I did before. It's been a challenge getting her to open up, but I love challenges. I am Troy Bolton.

"Well, it's a good thing we're leaving. It was just too hot and busy." I shook my head, fixing my pant leg. Gabriella scoffed and kept walking towards the car.

"Uh-huh, and Ethan's sudden appearance has nothing to do with that?"

"Pssh, no," I said, hoping she couldn't hear the twitch in my voice.

I caught up to her just as she was leaning against my mustang, tapping her foot impatiently. What a sexy sight that was, it made all kind of images swirl through my mind. Her arms were folded beneath her breasts and I could clearly see her ample amount of cleavage showcased for my eyes only. "Done staring at my ass? Or have you moved on to my chest now?"

How the hell did she know? Am I that obvious? Whatever… it's worth it.

With a shrug and a grin, I unlocked the car. "I'm not going to deny how fucking hot you are, or how hot you make me. I don't lie, Ginger."

She bit her lip and the action made a certain part of my anatomy jerk in excitement. God I loved that look. Her hand shot out and she curled it inward, waiting for something. Oh, right… her keys. "I told you I'm not giving you your keys back yet."

"I don't want my keys, I want your keys."

What was this? I definitely wasn't prepared for her to say that. "Why?"

"Hand them over, Knight. I'm gonna show you how a Wildcat drives."

Well, I'd much rather be shown how this particular Wildcat rides, but I'll take what I can get. My keys were clanking as they dangled from my fingers. Could I trust her with my precious car? Better yet, could I trust her with my life? But mostly my car.

After a moment of serious deliberation on the matter, I decided that everything concerning Ginger up to this point had been worth it. So might as well see what she had up her sleeve. Most likely it would just make me more attracted to her anyway.

"All right," I said, dropping the keys in her outstretched palm. "But you better not scratch her."

I hopped in the passenger seat, excited for what was to come. Gabriella slid into the driver's seat and five seconds later we were well on our way. I had to hand it to her; she could drive stick pretty well for a girl.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

She smirked and suddenly I felt like the shoe was on the other foot… or whatever that expression is. "I'm in charge now, buddy. Just sit back and enjoy the ride." Oh hell yes, I will indeed. Her foot slammed on the accelerator as she shifted gears, the engine purring with delight. As we headed up the on-ramp one thought stayed consistently on my mind.

Fuck you Ethan Chambers, this chick is mine.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong>Bookstore Hostility is now a published E-Book. Look for it here: www . smashwords . com booksview/168204******

******A/N: I'm sorry for this late update. Life has been hectic, I've had to move unexpectedly and adjust to a new schedule/living conditions. So my spare time for writing has suffered greatly as a result. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. I've already started the next one so it shouldn't take too long. The next chapter to RH is underway so expect that soon too. Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing, I appreciate it. Also, to anyone who is interested, I was able to self-publish my first book Bookstore Hostility on smashwords a couple of months ago and now its available to purchase at amazon and B&N. Thanks so much for all the support! As always, my apologies for any errors.  
><strong>****


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